MOVIE
REVIEW: THE SWITCH08/19/10

SYNOPSIS:
JENNIFER ANISTON and JASON BATEMAN star in “The Switch,” an offbeat comedy about Kassie, a smart, fun-loving single woman who, despite her slightly neurotic best friend Wally’s objections, decides it’s time to have a baby—even if it means doing it by herself… with a little help from a charming sperm donor (PATRICK WILSON). But, unbeknownst to her, Kassie’s plans go awry because of a last-minute switch that isn’t discovered until seven years later when Wally finally gets acquainted with Kassie’s precocious—though slightly neurotic—son. From the people behind “Little Miss Sunshine” and “Juno” comes “The Switch," due in theaters this summer.

REVIEW: “Life’s in session” is how Jennifer Aniston’s character, Kassie, puts it as part of her rational for deciding to have a baby using a sperm donor. Boy, have storylines changed over the years. This is a modern day movie with a modern day theme. For Kassie it means going for the contemporary solution to having a baby when you are not in a relationship with a potential father, and you really want to have a baby. You’ve heard of Sex and the City, well I call this Life and the City. Yes, this movie does take place in grand New York City. As Jason Bateman’s character, Wally, puts it “the human race” is nowhere more evident than in the hustle and bustle of NYC. Everyone there is in a race and contemporary/convenient solutions are needed for modern problems. So Kassie decides to go for it, but there is a little snag. This movie is charming, heartfelt, and funny. It will make you laugh a little, maybe even cry a little, and smile a little more. To put it in perspective, compared to some recent similar films like Baby Mama and The Backup Plan, this one is as funny but slightly more dramatic and definitely more touching. This is due in large part to the talented cast giving some pretty good performances, starting of course with the stars of the movie, Jennifer and Jason. The interaction and banter between these two was better than I thought it would be and quite entertaining. I must add that I don’t recall ever seeing Jennifer’s big blue eyes pop the way they popped in this movie. She has amazing eyes. Apparently there were a lot of facial close ups used in the film. Jason, as always, has impeccable line delivery and comedic mastery. He is part of a select group of actors that have those characteristics. Actors like Jeremy Piven and Ryan Reynolds, to name a couple, are also members of that group. We also get good contributions by the supporting cast. You can’t go wrong having people like Patrick Wilson, Juliette Lewis, and Jeff Goldblum filling in supporting roles. The last person I want to mention, but by far the least, is little Thomas Robinson. Of the entire cast, he is the one who will tug at your heart and steal it while you sit defenseless. He is simply adorable and his line delivery and overall performance literally takes over every scene he is in.

The storyline for this film is typical and predictable, with the exception of the main detail of the sperm swap, thus the title. Everything around that occurrence is standard for the most part. Super close friends that can’t admit their real feelings for each other so they just stay in the dreaded “friend zone” until push comes to shove and one of them gets the nerve to confront those feelings and the plot thickens. The twist in this version of that formula is the sperm switch. Other than that, you’ve seen it all before, right? Well in this case, it is still very entertaining and a sweet movie to watch. Directors Josh Gordon and Will Speck who also directed Blades of Glory, did a much better job with this film.